Titan King: Ascension of the Giant

Chapter 1367: The Gambler’s Bet and the Raptor’s Roar

Away from the packed center of the plaza, in the upper loft of a tavern overlooking the square, the members of the Blood and Fire Mercenary Corps crowded the windowsills. They leaned out, straining to catch every word of Ava’s speech drifting up from below.

It wasn’t until the Q&A session wrapped up that the mercenaries finally pulled their heads back in, the tension breaking instantly into a chaotic din of chatter and clinking tankards.

"Hah! Just like the Commander called it!"

"Pay up, boys! I win. Twenty Blackstone coins."

The one demanding the payout was a dwarf named Stoutgut. Despite reeking of ale, his eyes were sharp, and his long beard was bound into tight, practical braids—a sign that despite the drinking, he was ready for business.

"Bad luck," grumbled the bookie, a gnoll named Bloodear. "No twists, no drama? Do they have zero faith in the Human Kingdom?"

Bloodear sighed, fishing a heavy purse from his belt and grudgingly counting out coins to the winners.

"Only a moron would bet on the Human Kingdom right now," Stoutgut scoffed, snatching his winnings. "We’ve got the Giant King, a literal Demigod at the height of his glory, offering protection. You’d have to be brain-dead not to want a piece of that action."

Stoutgut hopped onto a round table, kicking a few empty mugs aside. "You see that down there? That’s Prince Kronos in the middle of the square. Our Prince. The future of the Stoneheart Horde."

He raised his tankard high, ale sloshing over the rim. "We hitch our wagon to the Prince, and we’re set for life. Does anyone doubt we’ve got a golden future ahead of us?"

The dwarf’s eyes burned with fanatical devotion as he mentioned the royal giants.

"The Commander was a genius to set up our HQ in Stoneheart City before the rush," another mercenary shouted.

"Damn straight!" Stoutgut bellowed. "Now every high-and-mighty noble on the continent is trying to claw their way into Stoneheart. What they’re begging for, we already have. To the Commander!"

"To the Commander!" the room erupted, cheers shaking the dust from the rafters.

The man they were toasting, the knight Godfrey, sat quietly in a corner booth, nursing a drink. He was the founder of Blood and Fire, and while his men celebrated, he was calculating.

With Kronos returning to Soaring Bird City, the need for Godfrey’s covert protection detail had vanished. He had already signaled his brothers to stand down.

"You really shouldn’t give a shit about the Human Kingdom’s mess anymore," a deep, rumbling voice said from across the table.

Clinking glasses with Godfrey was Brundar, his giant friend and Deputy Commander of the corps.

"The Horde has already put out the extermination bounties," Brundar continued. "Hunting those damn Insectoids and burning out their hives—that’s where the money is. That’s what we should be doing. The chance to trade points in the Horde Treasury doesn’t come around every day."

Godfrey smiled, looking at the giant. They had fought side-by-side on the ramparts of Stoneheart City; they were brothers in blood, not just name.

"My friend, this is the last run," Godfrey said, shaking his head. "After this, we probably won’t travel this road again for a long time."

He didn’t regret taking these final contracts in the Human Kingdom. But with Soaring Bird City preparing to migrate en masse to the Stoneheart Horde, the few remaining ties Godfrey had to this land were being severed. The other knights were leaving too.

"Heh, who can say?" Brundar took a massive swig of ale. "The future is a roll of the dice. Who can truly play the prophet?"

Godfrey raised an eyebrow. That was profound, coming from Brundar. Then he remembered the giant’s habit of hanging out at the Silent Goblet back in Stoneheart. That tavern was a hive of political gossip and wild theories; Brundar must have picked up some philosophy between brawls.

"The future belongs to us," Brundar added, grinning. "A world-spanning Mercenaries’ Guild. That’s the endgame for outfits like ours."

Godfrey chuckled. "I hope you’re right."

He didn’t argue, though he felt that reality was far off. The continent was teetering on the edge. Without a singular, iconic figure to unite the freelance sellswords, a true Guild was just a pipe dream.

Besides, ever since the Giant King ascended to the rank of Demigod, the political winds had shifted. The calls within the Stoneheart Horde to unify the entire continent under one banner were growing louder, swelling like a flood about to burst a dam.

The Giant King hadn’t spoken on it yet, but Godfrey knew it was inevitable. Unifying the continent was the ultimate tribute to a Demigod—the ultimate sign of submission from the world. Godfrey dreaded the day the Horde marched on the Human Kingdom, but the recent cataclysms—the changes in the sky and earth—had temporarily silenced the war drums.

Survival had forced the four great factions to work together.

"Get some sleep," Godfrey said, draining his cup. "We move out at dawn. We’re trailing Prince Kronos’s column back to Stoneheart."

"Aye, Commander."

That night, the Blood and Fire Mercenary Corps drank the tavern dry, marking their final hours in Soaring Bird City.

The next morning, the area outside Soaring Bird City was a sea of humanity.

As the warm sun crested the horizon, painting the sky in pale gold, the city itself felt abandoned. The hustle and bustle had bled out of the streets and pooled outside the gates, creating a chaotic, dust-choked scene.

It seemed half the city was ready to follow Kronos.

Wealthy merchants and nobles had their heavy carriages packed to the brim, axles groaning under the weight of their possessions. The poor, having no such luxury, stood with heavy packs strapped to their backs, waiting in silent, stoic groups.

Combined with the regimented lines of the army, the crowd naturally formed a winding river of people stretching miles toward the horizon.

"Well, looks like Soaring Bird has its fair share of smart people," Brundar grunted.

He and Godfrey stood atop the now-vacant city wall, looking down at the mass migration. Since the city guard had already deployed, the walls were the perfect vantage point for the mercenaries before they took up the rear.

"It’s not just smarts," Godfrey corrected, adjusting his gauntlets. "It’s the City Lord’s promise. And the alternative."

"Right. Not every place has a Demigod watching over it," Brundar laughed.

Yesterday, Ava had sworn to protect the lives and property of anyone who followed them. That swayed the commoners. For the nobles, it was simple pragmatism: The Stoneheart Horde and the Giant King represented the only true security in a world gone mad.

"I know you’re just being logical, Godfrey," Brundar grinned, his chest swelling. "But damn if it doesn’t make me happy to hear it."

He was proud to be a giant. Proud to be Stoneheart.

THRUM... THRUM... THRUM...

Suddenly, a rhythmic vibration shuddered through the stone beneath their boots. A low, rolling roar echoed from the distant horizon.

Godfrey’s hand instinctively went to his sword hilt. His body went rigid. "Is that... a beast tide?"

"No," Brundar said, his grin widening into a feral smile as he looked toward the source of the sound.

"That’s not a beast tide. That sound... that’s our Raptor Cavalry Regiment."